Railway service to Tripura to stop for gauge conversion

Agartala: In view of closure of the rail line from Lumding in Assam to the capital city of Tripura from October and monsoon, the state government has taken initiative to create a buffer stock of food grains, official sources said.

Sources said that the rail line from Lumding to Agartala would remain closed from October to January next year due to conversion of railway track from narrow gauge to broad gauge.

"After distribution of food grains for the current month to all the ration shops, the state has a reserve of foods for one month. So the government has taken an initiative to create a buffer stock for three months," Food and Civil Supply Minister Bhanu Lal Saha told reporters.

The state government has also requested the central government to take up with neighbouring Bangladesh for allowing its waterways to be used for bringing food grains during the closure of the rail line.

Bangladesh has agreed to allow for transportation of 10,000 MT of grains by using their waterways up to Ashuganj river port on Meghna, about 37 km from Agartala, from where the grains would be transported upto Agartala by trucks.

He said that the state government has demanded to the centre for dispatching of 35,000 MT of rice in view of the closure of the railway line from October.

Sources in the Food Corporation of India said that everyday about 30 wagons of food grains were entering into the state by rails and trucks for creating the buffer stock.